Kyle Busch put the bumper to his teammate to win at Martinsville Speedway
In NASCAR overtime, Kyle Busch got a horrible restart. Yet, he still went to victory lane.
“Typically, I try to race well, try to race clean, try to do a good job and try to leave here with not too many people mad at me,” Kyle Busch stated after winning Martinsville and clinching a spot in the Championship 4.
“We kept our nose clean all day long. It was a great opportunity for us to have a fast race car. And was probably going to finish 4th. Except there was a couple opportunity’s there at the end where I was able to find a hole.”
The sea’s just kinda kept parting for us.
-Kyle Busch
“The #22 kinda closed it there, getting into turn 1. A lot of things started happening there. But then, the #24 and the #11 getting into it. The sea’s just kinda kept parting for us. We were able to take advantage.”
Related: Denny Hamlin vs Chase Elliott at Martinsville (VIDEO)
The bump to Denny Hamlin
Coming to the white flag, Denny Hamlin misses the apex to turn 3-4. He entered too high, likely missing the braking point, or simply pushing it too hard. That opened the door as Denny washed up the track just enough for Kyle Busch to stick his nose in on the exit.
“I just think that when it comes down to the end of the race and you’re racing for a win and you see the white flag — [Then] the door kinda cracks it’s way open a little bit, you gotta put your foot in there and go get it.”
“That was our opportunity to punch our ticket to Homestead. Denny thought the same thing, racing with the #24.”
Related: NASCAR fans confronts Denny Hamlin after he spun Chase Elliott
“I kinda moved him out of the way. [I] didn’t crash him or anything like that and was able to go on and get the checkered flag. The #11’s still got a great shot. They’ve got speed.”
Ironically, Kyle Busch made the same mistake that Denny Hamlin made. In turn 1, Kyle Busch also missed his braking point. You can see the back end step out as he wheel hopped into the corner.
Kyle admittedly says that he partially missed it on purpose. He just didn’t intend to miss it by that much, pushing Hamlin into the marbles.
I didn’t want to move him that far out of the way.
-Kyle Busch
“When I was on the inside of Denny getting into turn 1, I was all over the brakes. I got some wheel hop and got loose. Kinda washed up into him and [I] kinda moved him too far out of the way. I didn’t want to move him that far out of the way. It kinda gave the #78 the inside lane on me. So, that wasn’t my intent down there.”
“Coming to the white, when that door opened a little bit I stuck my nose in there. He was on his way down to kinda diamond the corner, if you will. I just didn’t allow him to have that diamond on the exit.”
“You had to get in there and root and gouge a little bit. It’s Martinsville, it’s racin’. It’s a tough balance sometimes.”
Kyle Busch wins at Martinsville Speedway
Links
Kyle Busch | Denny Hamlin | Martinsville Speedway | NASCAR
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